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AMC Theatres (AMC) and the Autism Society have teamed up to bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the “Sensory Friendly Films” program.

In order to provide a more accepting and comfortable setting for this unique audience, the movie auditoriums will have their lights brought up and the sound turned down, families will be able to bring in their own gluten-free, casein-free snacks, and no previews or advertisements will be shown before the movie. Additionally, audience members are welcome to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing – in other words, AMC’s “Silence is Golden^®” policy will not be enforced unless the safety of the audience is questioned.

Did you go to one of our previous Sensory Friendly Flims? Tell us what you thought!

Tickets are $4-6 depending on location and can be purchased on the day of the event.

Upcoming Shows

January 7 – The Adventures of Tin Tin

February 25 – The Secret World of Arrietty

March 10 – Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

April 7 – Pirates! Band of Misfits

*Please note all dates and films are subject to change

For more information , visit their website at

http://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/events/sensory-friendly-films/

Joint Attention

• Balloon Pops (Joe Scrivers, $0.99)- Take turns popping the balloons with the student.
• Magnetic Alphabet (Dot Next, $1.99)- Put images on the board based on themes, animals, dinosaurs, sea, farm, etc. Let the student move whatever item they choose onto the “magnetic” board.  Or sing Old Mac Donald and use the farm board to show the animals on the farm.

Imitation Skills/Matching

• Talking Ben (Outfit7, Free)- Have fun letting Ben imitate words and sounds that your class or your family makes.
• Rhythm Repeat (Filpo Games, $0.99)- Use this app for your musically inclined students. It may work well in a music class or in an auditory imitation activity.  The students will need to listen and watch, then tap the same sequence after hearing it.

Communication

• My First AAC by Injini (NC Soft, $24.99)- Circle Time may be a great place to use this app.  The customizable screen layout can display 2 large icons or 8 smaller icons per category.  Categories such as weather, colors, days of the week can be programmed into the app. It has more than 250 icons organized by category, the choice of a boy or girl voice, and animated icons.
• Speech with Milo: Verbs (Doonan Speech Therapy, $2.99)-  Perfect for teaching verbs, this app can be used during a language lesson.  Have students view Milo acting out the verb, then ask them to do the same thing that Milo does.  In the app, the verb is spoken as the action is completed and auditory input helps to reinforce the action.

Self- Help

• My Little Suitcase by Moms With Apps (Moms with Apps, Free)- Have the students “pack” the suitcase on the app, then pack in a real suitcase.
• I am LOVE Kids Yoga Journey Lite (Gramercy Consultants, Free)- Use this app to teach self-relaxation. Use the videos as a visual support to show the yoga poses.

Independent Skills/ Pre-Vocational Skills

• More Cookies! (Maverick Software LLC, $0.99)- Practice mixing, baking and decorating cookies on the app for a few days.  Culminate the lesson by applying the skills learned to a real cookie baking session.
• Everyday Skills (Ablelink Technologies Inc., $39.99)- Use this app with a unit on chores.  Use the video that demonstrates washing dishes to teach the skill of washing dishes.  Show it on the big screen as a movie. Have students either “wash dishes” in the play area or practice washing plastic dishes in the sink.

Social Skills

• Sentence Builder (Mobile Education Tools, $5.99)- In this app, students build sentences by looking at the given picture and scrolling for the words on a “wheel” on the screen.  Use the app to have the students build the sentence on the app.  Then, using chart paper or the whiteboard/chalkboard, model how to write the sentence so that they can see it in print as well.
• Manners (Conover Company, $0.99)- Place this app in a listening area with headphones.  Have two students listen and watch the video on “Meeting/Greeting People.”  In another center, highlight, the main steps of the “Meeting/Greeting People” lesson on chart paper with visual pictures to accompany the words. In the third center, practice, the steps they learned using words, sign language or handshakes.

Play Skills

• Glow Hockey 2 for iPad Free (Natenai Ariyatrakool, Free)- Divide the students into groups.  Have one group work in the play area using a real hockey puck and hockey stick, the second group at a small table learning the vocabulary terms about hockey and the third group taking turns using the air hockey app.
• Color My Name (Girl’s World Pty. Ltd, $1.99)- This app is perfect for an “All About Me” unit.  Use it 1:1 with a student to have them design an art project based around their first name.

Sensory Involvement

• Wheels on the Bus (Duck Duck Moose, $0.99)- Sing the song, finger paint a picture of a bus, then play the app.
• Magic Piano for iPhone, (Smule, Free)- Students can use this app to tap anywhere on the screen and make music.  A visual image accompanies the sound output.

Basic Concept Mastery

• Kids Learning My First Numbers (GrasshopperApps.com, Free)- Teach 1:1 correspondence with this app by using the screen with the bears.  Try using plastic counting bears on a small tray, in conjunction with the app, to have students count out the same number of bears they see on the screen. 
• TalkCalc (KeilaniSoftware, Free)- Use this fun way to visually show the functions of a calculator.  Allow a student to use this TalkCalc when learning to use a calculator. The app verbally labels the keys and the answer for the user. 

Vocabulary/Literacy

• Toddler! (Red Hammer Software, $0.99)- Use this app’s vehicle’s page with a unit about transportation.  The pictures have sound and could add a multi-sensory component to your lesson.
• ABA Flashcards Actions (Kindergarten.com, Free)- Teach verbs with visual flashcards in this ABA style app.  Try using this app during 1:1 time for a child working on learning to identify action words.

Fine Motor

• iWriteWords (Gdiplus, $2.99)- Use this app as a practice session for 2 minutes before a handwriting class.
• Shape Builder the Preschool Learning Puzzle Game (Darren Murtha Design, $0.99)- Use shape manipulatives to have the students identify shapes. Have students match written words of shape names to the shapes. Then, give students the opportunity to play the puzzle builder app.

Here is what it read:

 “We have two concerns with a student of ours who is 9 years old and has limited verbal skills. First, our student bites her hand often, even when we are not asking her to do work, sometimes up to 30 times a day.  Second, she is not yet toilet trained.”

Autism Classroom.com Response: There are various strategies to try to use with the students who are biting and who are not  toilet trained. Each child is an individual and will not respond to every method tried, however, here are some suggestions:

*For biting her hand, try these STRATEGIES TO INCREASE APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS:

1.  It will be important to conduct a current Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) regarding her target behavior. (Check AutismClassroom.com’s Behavior Pages for more details about FBA’s.) Along with the Functional Behavior Assessment chart the frequency of the biting of the hand behavior for a week or two. This will give an accurate number of how many times the behavior occurs. Using tally marks on a sheet of paper would be the easiest way to accomplish this. 
 
 2.   If she engages in the activity when she is alone, there are no demands being placed on her and she does not receive attention from the behavior. That is a strong sign that the behavior could be a sensory based behavior. Try talking with the Occupational Therapist (OT) to evaluate the situation and make recommendations.  It is possible, that they may suggest that she be placed on some type of program which would provide the sensory input she is seeking (around the face, the mouth or the hand), many times per day. It will also be important to track her numbers of mouthing inedible objects to see if whatever intervention you put in place is being effective. 
 
 *For toileting, try these STRATEGIES TO INCREASE APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS:
 
 1.  Since there are various steps included in the toilet training process, it will necessary to begin with one step at a time. Establish what level of the toilet training process she is currently functioning. (Ex. Is she staying dry throughout the day? Is she able to void in the toilet?  Is she able to sit for a period of time? etc.)  Once this is established, create a goal specific to accomplishing the next step in the toilet training process.  Accomplish goals step by step. 
2.   Since children with autism are strong visual learners, it will be important to use that strength to aid in the toilet training process. Provide visual cues in the bathroom for the toileting routine and hand-washing routine. These would be pictures which tell her the steps in the process.  Also a visual “Yay” sign for if she voids in the toilet. 

3. Identify a strong reinforcer which can only be used for and during the toilet training process.

4. For one week, identify a period of time between 30 minute and 45 minutes, that an adult can dedicate to working with her in the bathroom. At first you can try to provide her with a good amount of liquids 2-5 minutes before entering the bathroom.  If she voids in the toilet, give her a reinforcer or preferred item reward. 

5.  Write a social story (made famous by Carol Gray) specific to her toileting needs. The story should highlight expectations for her to used the toilet and identify the reinforcers she will receive if she uses the toilet. 

5.  Read the article entitled “Applying Structured Teaching Methods to Toilet Training.” This article highlights the TEACCH model of structured teaching to train students to use the bathroom. The article can be found at www.teacch.com.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-st-paw-pals-20111109,0,5680769.story?page=2

Lesson Ideas and Activities for Young Children with Autism and Related Special Needs: Lessons for Joint Attention, Imitation, Play, Social Skills & More from AutismClassroom.com.

Please share this information with your co-workers and families.

For those who are not familiar with this work, this book is gives starting points and beginning places for creating meaningful activities for pre-school and elementary-aged students with autism and related special needs. The themes addressed in the book are Colors, Numbers & Shapes, Fall (Sub-theme: All About Me), Winter (Sub-theme: Winter Holidays), Spring, Summer (Sub-theme: Camping & Going to the Zoo) and Transportation. Each chapter has a list of activities that address some of the skills that are sometimes the most challenging for some individuals with autism. Each theme’s unit provides activity ideas specific to the following areas: Joint Attention, Imitation Skills, Communication, Self-Help Skills, Independent Skills, Pre-Vocational Skills, Social Skills, Play Skills, Sensory Involvement, Basic Concept Mastery, Vocabulary/Literacy, Fine Motor, and Gross Motor. Also included at the end of each chapter is an “Implementation Tip” related to one of the suggested activities. Sample lesson plans for classroom routines and procedures are provided as well.

http://www.autismclassroom.com/merchandise/

AutismClassroom.com has created an app with Middle School and High School Lessons for Students!

Finding lesson ideas and activities for teenage and young adult special education students with autism and/or with a developmental delay can be difficult.

This app by AutismClassroom.com, was developed to provide the user with several ideas for creating some meaningful lessons with teens and young adults with autism, who may also have developmental disabilities.

There are 6 themes with over 30 “lesson starters” for each theme. The app has over 200 lesson ideas.

Highlights of the app include:
-Over 200 lesson starters

-Routines and procedures “planner”

-Skills addressed in Following A Topic/Joint Attention, Visual Performing Arts, Communication, Health/Daily Living, Vocational, Social Skills, Recreational Skills, Science, Sensory Involvement, Social Studies, Literacy, Fine Motor, & Physical Education

Click here to see it on itunes.

Click here to see it on Android Market.

Colors Outside, the app, is based on the popular children’s book Colors Outside, a poem, turned picture book by 3 year old author, J. Tells.  The app displays the book, and features a short  activity guide for parents with activities related to the book. The app is intended to give the user a peek at the book before purchasing it for their school library, preschool, public library, as a gift or for their home.

About the Author:
J. Tells is a 3-year old poet and singer. He spends his days playing, singing, and making up stories. This book, Colors Outside, was recorded one day while listening to J. Tells playing with some small toy figurines. He made up the poem and recited it over and over that day. The poem was put into a book for all to read. The book has vibrant photographs that accompany the words of the poem. It is a fun book for all to enjoy!

Click here to to the app on itunes.